New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

C M Edwards · 2002-06-06 07:00:24

Are you a member at both New Mars and the Mars Society?

Josh Cryer · 2002-06-06 08:55:44

I'm actually not a member of the Mars Society. I've never joined those types of things. I wouldn't know what went on, etc. I may in the future, though.

Adrian · 2002-06-06 17:39:18

I am a member, of course. It's quite cheap for students to join only $25, and I usually end up renewing my subscription every time I have to go to conference. Personally, I think the Society should put a sweetener deal in with joining, perhaps giving members a free Mars map or cap or something.

Phobos · 2002-06-06 18:10:01

I'm to much of a cheapskate to join anything even though I did somehow manage to become a member of the Planetary Society when I wrote them asking for some pictures of Neptune (I was like 10) and lo and behold! Not only did I get a heap of pictures but I got subscribed to their Planetary Report to. I got it for a whole year for free! Of course, now that I'm about 2% more mature I realize that one can't support a cause by just taking freebies and not paying up even though I'm thinking of writing them again for some more free pictures.

Shaun Barrett · 2002-06-06 18:50:41

I have been a member of The Planetary Society for 14 years and joined The Mars Society about 3 years ago.
I perceived TMS to be a more dynamic, focused, not to say aggressive, humans-to-Mars organisation than TPS. I still believe this to be true and have enormous faith in the energy and vision of Bob Zubrin. He's a doer, not a dreamer, and people like him only come along every now and then in history.
I agree with Adrian that encouragement should be given to any New Mars contributors, currently not members of TMS, to join up. It's good to have any kind of support for Mars exploration but actual financial membership is really what counts. When politicians look at space advocacy groups, they must automatically ask themselves how many people belong to each group. In other words, they want to know how many people are prepared to put their money where their mouths are and really support their group.
Josh and Phobos .... SHAME ON YOU!!!
I expected better things of both of you!

Phobos · 2002-06-07 22:52:11

I was always under the impression that the Planetary Society was more interested in promoting robotic exploration over manned space exploration. I guess I could get a clue and maybe visit their website before I die, but I don't know, to be honest, and I probably deserve a good roast for saying it, I'm more interested in promoting the development and colonization of space than I am of science exploration (don't get me wrong, I love the science to!). So Mars Society would probably be a better choice if I just wasn't such a #### cheapskate. But at least you shamed me into not exploiting such organizations for free pictures in the future.

Phobos · 2002-06-08 12:40:38

Thanks for clearing that up Mars Hotel. I definately support manned missions over robotic ones whenever it's possible. I think we really need to strive to develop the necessary technologies that will allow us to live and prosper in space. As for the water recycling question, I'd put down a few bucks that they're cheating and not drinking the recycled water if they do in fact recycle it. Water recycling is one of the things that's always made me think twice about wanting to take extended trips into space. I guess you'd just have to force yourself not to think about where the water came from when you drink it.

Aetius · 2002-06-08 18:11:05

I'm a member of the Mars Society. I used to have a subscription to Space Illustrated, but since the magazine went out of business, I got the National Space Society's "Ad Astra" magazine for the remainder of the year.

Pretty pictures, very little content. My opinion might be off base, but it seems too slanted towards "Red" viewpoints for my liking.

Shaun Barrett · 2002-06-08 23:01:14

We must be doing something wrong, BGD, because I can't seem to get the poll results viewer to work either.

Adrian · 2002-06-09 02:12:30

It's a bit of a peculiar problem. When I'm logged in I can't see them either, but if I log out and look at them as a Guest, they're visible. Strange. I might need to fiddle about with some files. More later.

Adrian · 2002-06-09 04:50:16

I'm very impressed with the state of phpBB, I think it's probably the best piece of forum software out at the moment that's been regularly updated. However, when New Mars first came online, a little under a year ago, Ikonboard was the best forum software out. I'm not really willing to switch over just yet, and even if I was, it wouldn't be possible since there isn't an importer for IB3 data into phpBB.

So phpBB is definitely in the cards for consideration if I ever get too annoyed with Ikonboard, but for now it's working relatively well. I expect that most of the problems on the board right now are down to my incompetence at properly upgrading the software rather than anything else.

One minor irritation with phpBB is that it has to use MySQL or equivalent - this eats up processor time.

www.ikonboard.com works for me - I just visited it.

Adrian · 2002-06-09 14:21:32

IB3 data: This forum is running on Ikonboard version 3.01 - the page you linked to only has upgraders for Ikonboard v2.1.x. I'm sure they'll develop a IB3 converter eventually.

Palomar · 2002-06-21 12:12:02

*Generally speaking, I'm not much of a "joiner."

The first time I became aware of the Mars Society was in 5/2001. "Astronomy" magazine's feature that month was Mars, particularly as Mars reached perihelion in summer (N hemisphere) 2001. I was browsing through the magazine, and a tiny advertisement for "The Mars Society" caught my eye. I knew this couldn't be a sci-fi buff organization (I've yet to see either "Astronomy" or "Sky & Telescope" magazines allow ads for sci-fi buff orgs...unless I've been missing them), and checked out the web site included in the ad. I was impressed with what I read at the Mars Society web page; okay, these people are serious. They don't believe in little green men on Mars, they aren't buzzing about the latest UFO sighting, etc.

I don't part with my money easily, but I felt this was a worthwhile exception to that rule.

I've been very happy with my membership, and just renewed it this month. However, unless one has internet access, their satisfaction with membership would probably be limited. I've only received 3, maybe 4, items via snail-mail in the year I've been a member. Sure, I understand they want to keep costs down (paper, supplies, postage), but obviously members with no internet access (or very little of it) are pretty much in the lurch.

I also agree with Adrian that they could "sweeten up" the deal for members; give them a cap or pen or lapel pin, etc., with the MS logo on it.

I intend to remain a member of MS indefinitely, so long as it seems they're DOING and not just talking, certain standards are maintained, the web site is updated as frequently as it currently is, etc.

--Cindy

MS member since 6/01

Phobos · 2002-06-21 13:18:56

I intend to remain a member of MS indefinitely, so long as it seems they're DOING and not just talking, certain standards are maintained, the web site is updated as frequently as it currently is, etc.

After Mark S brought up the Trans-life project and after hearing about these balloon projects the Mars Society is sending to Mars I'm half-thinking about joining the MS myself. I definately agree that an organization that is actually doing and not just "promoting" is worth supporting. Anyways, I want to go the Mars convention they hold next year. I have to go to at least one of them just to see what they're like. Hopefully it won't be held to far away.

PaganToris · 2002-07-17 20:04:59

well i am a well known Mars person i have to say that goiung to mars wpould be a Nice Idea My friend in RL wont say who always says stuff bout it so he got me to post on this forum heheh u know who u r

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#1 2002-06-06 07:00:24

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#2 2002-06-06 08:55:44

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#3 2002-06-06 17:39:18

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#4 2002-06-06 18:10:01

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#5 2002-06-06 18:50:41

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#6 2002-06-07 22:52:11

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#7 2002-06-08 12:40:38

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#8 2002-06-08 18:11:05

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#9 2002-06-08 23:01:14

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#10 2002-06-09 02:12:30

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#11 2002-06-09 04:50:16

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#12 2002-06-09 14:21:32

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#13 2002-06-21 12:12:02

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#14 2002-06-21 13:18:56

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

#15 2002-07-17 20:04:59

Re: New Mars/Mars Society Survey - Are you a member of the Mars Society?

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